What these nests are made of.

The nest bodies are printed in PETG. They are made in the US.

PETG can warp if it gets hot. Keep nests out of direct sun and away from heat lamps. The heating guide shows the safe way to add warmth.

Lids are clear acrylic. You can see in without opening the nest.

Clean acrylic with a soft cloth and lukewarm water. Solvents and ammonia glass cleaners can cloud or crack it.

Under the floor is a cup of cotton. The floor above it has printed holes. Water in the cotton keeps the nest damp, and the holes are too small for ants to use to get into the water.

You re-wet the cotton from the top. There is no reservoir to fill and no tank to leak. The watering guide has the steps.

A gypsum nest holds water in the block itself. It is poured and set, and it stays as it is. A printed nest with a cotton cup is a different build: you can see the water source and change the cotton.

An all-acrylic nest is cut and joined from sheet. Ours use acrylic only where you look through it, which is the lid. The body is printed, which is how the ports line up at one height.

We do not publish test numbers for material strength or water use. If you want to know whether a piece fits your setup, ask on the contact page or read the FAQ.

The Founder, $42, is a good place to see all of this in one piece. The whole range is on the formicarium page.